Vibrator



March 4, 1941. L.. J. ANDRES VIBRATOR Filed April 2e. 1957 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE matic Instrument Company,

Grand Rapids,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,073

Claims.

This invention relates in general to an electrically operated hand vibrator having a yieldable suction cup actuated by the vibrator and subject to a variable suction or pressure.

5 An important object of the invention is in the provision of a vibrator having a suction or applicator cup which is .both positively actuated by the vibrator and in which the pressure or suction may be varied-independently of or in conjunction with the actual vibration vof the cup.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an electrical suction vibrator with a pulsating attachment; to vibrate the suction cup with respect to the handle; to pulsate the air pressure or suction in the cup; and to oscillate the cup and pulsate the air therein both separately and in conjunction with the cup vibration.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a vibrator in accordance with the invention and a suction or pressure means for connection therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the hand vibrator omitting the electrical vibrating means and showing the cup in extended position and also showing a pressure pulsator in connection with the suction or pressure producing means; and

Fig. 3 is a partially7 expanded View of the cup. 30 This invention is illustrated and described in connection with a massage applicator of the suction or pressure cup type as illustrated in my application Serial No. 47,291, led October 29, '1935, for Electric vibrator, with the addition that 35 the vibrator cup is compressible or has a flexible mounting portion by means of which it may be oscillated with respect to the remainder of the hand attachment and also the pressure or suc.- tion may be varied periodically for pulsating the 40 air or uid within the vibrator.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the vibrator comprises a hollow handle including a metal sleeve 5 with perforated ends 6 and 7. Threaded in one end 'I is a fitting 8 to 45 which the flexible collapsing neck 9 of a more rigid applicator cup I!! is attached. This cup may be made of rubber or any other suitable material and the connecting neck is yieldable or flexible to allow the cup to oscillate with respect 50 to the remainder of the handle. Connected to the other end 6 is a fitting II for attaching a hose I2 which leads to a pump I3 of the reversible suction or pressure type operated by a motor I4. The pressure or suction may be .con-

55 trolled by a valve I5.

(Cl. 12S-52) In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2,

a motor and pump shaft I6 is extended and carries a cam Il for engaging a diaphragm I8 of a pulsating pressure device I9 having a pipe connection 2li with the hose l2.

This vibrator may be utilized in the form shown 5 in Fig. 2 by lsimply contacting the applicator cup with the skin or other surface to be treated and then operating the pressure or suction device and with it the pulsating means. The pulsating means may be of suicient strength and variation to produce the collapsing or oscillating movement of the cup with respect to the hand portion, thereby producing the vibration desired.

This vibrator also comprises a pair of magnet windings 2| and 22 which alternately receive a "j pulsating current :through conductors 23 for electrically oscillating an armature 24 reciprocably mounted at its ends upon rods 25 and 26 extending through perforated bearing blocks 2l and 28 respectively. The armature is freely movable and the bearing blocks are xed in an inner sleeve 29 and are provided with longitudinal grooves 3i] to `permit a free passage of the pressure or fluid through the handle to the cup I l).

The bearing rod 25 at the cup end extends loosely through the tting 8 and the extremity of this rod is connected by fastening nuts -3I with a perforated partition 32 extending across the cup IIJ, the perforations allowing the pressure or suction to be applied through the cup. Centering means comprising a collar 33 and springs 34 and 35 surround the rod 25 between the tting 8 and the bearing block 21 and tend to keep the armature 24 in a central position with respect to the windings 2| and 22. 30

Current is supplied through the conductors 23 and contacts 35 to the windings 2l and 22 so that the windings are alternately energized to oscillate the armature 24 which moves with it, the rigid applicator portion of the applicator Ill collapsing and extending it upon the exible neck 9. This produces a massaging effect which is highly desirable, and although the outer por-tion of the applicator cup is described as more or less rigid it is simply by comparison with the llexible neck 9 as the contacting portion of the cup is usually composed of rubber or other suitable exible and yielding material,

When the vibrator is used in connection with the suction and pulsating means. the oscillating movement of the cup is effected by the suction or pressure application and by the 4pulsating device which may be in addition to and in conjunction with the electrical vibrator, or separately therefrom. Thus a combined vibrator is produced in which there is positive movement of the applicator and also a yielding suction or pressure which may be pulsated as desired.

I claim: l

1. An electrical hand vibrator having a substantially rigid applicator cup with a yielding bellows neck flexibly attached -to the vibrator, and electromagnetic Vibrating means connected to the outer portion of the cup to oscillate it with respect to the vibrator by means of said neck.

2. In a vibrator, an applicator cup with a resilient collapsible neck connected to the vibrator, an electro-magnetic device connected from the vibration to the cup for vibrating it, suction means connected through the vibrator to the cup, and pulsating means in connection with the suction means for Varying the suction in the cup.

3. A vibrator having a hollow handle, an electro-magnet therein and an armature reciprocable thereby, an applicator cupl with an outer comparatively rigid portion connected to the handle by a collapsible exible neck, and a connection between the outer portion of the cup and the armature for reciprocating the cupwith respect to the handle'at the said neck.

4. In a vibrator as in claim 3, a stem extending i5 from the armature and a transverse partition in the cup to which the stem is connected for oscillating the cup by means of said collapsible neck.

5. In a suction vibrator, a hollow handle having an applicator cup with an outer rigid portion 10 Y connected toi the handle by a flexible collapsible neck, electro-responsive means in the handle having an armature movable reciprocably and connected to the rigid portion of the cup for reciprocating it, suction means comprising a 15 

